Modern War Drums

     Throughout history, music has been a means of communication.  Even if there is a language barrier, music can be used to convey a feeling or emotion, so many forms of music are relatable throughout the world.  Different genres and types of music symbolize different things, allowing it to convey messages in a catchy and powerful way.  In modern times, most songs have more meaning than the speeches that political figures give to the crowd.  Music can be created and used in celebration, mourning, and even warning.
     McBride argues that hip hop music is a warning; a warning that addresses different social issues.  In many cultures throughout history, war drums were used as a warning of danger.  These drums would announce the threat so people would be aware that something was wrong.  Hip hop music is extremely similar to this since is announces the issues that younger generations experience.  Younger generations create this form of music to communicate with each other and with older members of society.  In this way, hip hop is used in order for people to communicate with each other as well as to inform other people of coming danger.
     I support McBride for the most part because many issues in society are first addressed in hip hop songs.  From the origins of hip hop until modern times, this form of music has been extremely revealing to the reality of peoples lives.  However, not every hip hop artists follows this method of songwriting.  There are some hip hop artists that sing solely for entertainment purposes in which theirs songs export different scandalous forms of lifestyle.  Despite this, true hip hop has its foundation in sharing a message of warning.  Many different social justice issues are addressed in these songs, along with expressing pride in specific characteristics that are rejected in society.  Hip hop artists warn that they will not tolerate injustice and are aware of things that are in need of change.  Each individual artists can draw from their own personal experience in order to create this music, so for different people the warnings are of different messages.  The song may be create to reveal the truth of being trapped by social standards, but another person who is not trapped in the same way can still find the song relatable in a different light, so the warnings can be adapted to each person.
     Just as McBride stated, this form of music is a means of communicating warning and it has been since its origins.  Hip hop is the equivalent of war drums in the 21st century since both emit a message of warning.